Turkish Cypriot Member of the Committee of Missing Persons Hakkı Müftüzade announced that excavation work is continuing in the regions of Akova/Gypsou, Aygün/Ag. Georgios Ammochostos, Alayköy/Gerolakkos, Balıkesir/Palaikythron, Dilekkaya/Agia, and Sirokitya/Choirokoitia with efforts of the bi-communal committees.
Speaking to TAK News Agency, Turkish Cypriot member of the Missing Persons Committee Hakkı Müftüzade shared the latest statistical information on the missing persons in Cyprus.
Müftüzade said, “Of the 2002 missing persons in Cyprus, 1510 are Greek Cypriots and 492 are Turkish Cypriots.
Müftüzade said that there are 2002 missing persons in Cyprus, 1510 of which are Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots. He stated that 1,030 identified persons had been handed over to their families for an honorable burial. Noting that the remaining losses according to data from March 2023 are 972 people in total, Müftüzade said that the excavation work is ongoing in six different regions.
Müftüzade noted that the excavation work at the above-mentioned areas by the bi-communal committees is continuing at full speed.
Müftüzade said that there are seven excavation teams working under the Committee for Missing Persons, and that there are currently 77 locations on the excavation list and 126 locations of which analyses and studies are still ongoing.
Müftüzade added that it is getting harder to obtain information and find witnesses and that the digging areas to be excavated are spreading over a wider area. Stating that they are evaluating various methods such as using new technologies and increasing the number of teams in order to overcome these difficulties, Müftüzade emphasized that by doing this they aim to reach the missing persons sooner.
